F is For Fakery
by stelena1981
Summary: A Moments in Between Series story. Set at the end of 2.04 and right before 2.05 begins.


**A/N: These are stories I'm bringing here from LJ at users request. **

Moments after coming apart, Stefan gripped Elena's hand and held it tightly as he let the electric sensations flow through his body. He continued to kiss her hungrily as if they were just beginning this journey and not at the rapturous end. He broke apart from her and rested his forehead on hers. Neither could catch their breath, instead having to breathe so heavily it made them both laugh. Elena's fingertips found the nape of Stefan's neck and a chill went down his spine he was so sensitive to her touch. Not long after, he rolled off her, pulling her to his chest.

They had begun the night with a plan to make Katherine think they were on the outs when in fact they were closer than ever. Stefan looked Elena in the eyes and told her that while Katherine might be a threat to their daily lives, she was no threat for Stefan's heart.

A small reassuring kiss caught fire and before they knew it, they were ripping clothes off each other needing to be closer. As typical with them, what began as wild turned into intense and intentional slow rhythms. The kind of sex that left them both moaning and mouth agape from the intensity. They spooned and rocked and danced together as they made love.

Katherine was very easily forgotten.

"If that's what happens after a made up fight, I worry that I might not survive real make up sex, Stefan."

Stefan smiled. "Oh I think you could handle yourself."

"Not that we ever will find out. I really hated fighting with you. God, listen to us. We sound like one of those couples."

"Every now and then you bring this up. Who are those couples, Elena?" he asks her while he contentedly fingers through her hair.

She turns onto his chest resting her chin on top of her hands so she can look him in the eye. She smiles. He thinks it is the most beautiful/erotic/sensual/sweet act she's exhibited. Or he could just be whipped beyond the pale. He suspects it is the latter.

She notices the look he gives her and chooses to ignore it—for now.

"Stefan, _those_ couples. The ones who giggle at each other and always smile at each other. The ones who finish each other's sentences and NEVER fight. The ones who make people nauseous. _Those_ couples."

"Ha. Well that's not totally us. We don't finish each other's sentences."

"Not yet. But we're on the path."

"Elena, you know what that couple sounds like?" he asks her as he caresses her face so gently it could make her cry—if she were _that_ girl. But she's not.

She's…not.

She's..God, who is she fooling? She's totally that girl. She rests her hand on his and leans into his touch.

"What does that sound like Stefan?"

"A couple in love. It sounds like two people who are madly, wildly, and passionately in love. And I admit it: I am. I think about you all the time. I wonder what you're thinking about. I want to be where you are at all times. I think about your mouth and your eyes and your body…I wonder what you will think about years from now. I never want you to think that I don't value you or desire you or take you for granted. I could touch you forever. I could kiss you forever. I could make love with you every single moment of every single day. And I would still want more. And I never want to fight with you—fake or real."

"How do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Make me love you more? How? I thought I loved you as much as I ever could not five minutes before but I love you more. I don't even mind being that couple."

"You live 145 years, you learn some skills."

"Oh? Well, I may not be close to celebrating a bicentennial anytime soon but I certainly trust my imagination to assist in my skill building," Elena adds as she kisses his chest.

"I always had a soft spot for creativity," Stefan replies, barely able to think clearly.

The things this woman did to him.

She kissed his chest upwards toward his neck and began to nip and lick the sensitive areas there. Stefan's hands moved underneath the covers and moved up and down her back down to her ass and then back up again. Elena loved Stefan's body. She loved to watch how it responded to her ministrations. And she loved to hear how his breath quickened when she hit a specific nerve.

And then she played with him. "So what are we supposed to do about Katherine?" she asks as she stops kissing him.

Stefan doesn't respond for long moments. "Katherine who?" he finally gives her.

Elena laughs. "Katherine. My doppelganger. The woman who wants us to break up?"

"Hmmm...What was the question again?"

She licked from the lowest space on his torso to his nipple. He arched his back off the bed just slightly.

"What are we supposed to do? Now that we are those people how do we not be? How can we not touch each other…like this," and to reinforce her point she moves one of her hands underneath the covers and subtly moves her hand across his hard member.

"We just…Oh God you are such a tease….we just keep faking fights."

"But won't she be able to tell how much more we'll want each other after we fight? How glazed over our eyes are? How much faster my pulse will be?" She punctuates her last question with another graze across him. He sucks in a breath.

"We...we...we…we'll figure it out…I promise. Can you? Can you go back to where you left off now? Please?" he begged.

Elena laughed—truly laughed at how pathetic this nearly invincible vampire sounded right then.

"Sure Stefan. Let's see," she starts as she traces her fingertips down his chest and to his stomach. "Where were we?"

"Are you sure you have to leave Stefan?" Elena asks as he puts on his boots.

"I think for our plan to work, people need to believe we are no longer staying together."

"Stefan, it's 4 am. We've been together in this bed for over five hours. I think we may have to count tonight as a loss."  
"No, no, no it's not a loss," he says crossing over to her side of the bed. "Think about it: if I am seen leaving your house this early one could easily assume that I'm walking out on you and that our relationship has reached its end."

Elena sits up with the covers over her chest and considers Stefan's idea. "I guess that sounds reasonable. But Stefan, why would you leaving my bedroom at 4 am signal the end of our relationship?"

He takes her face in his hands and kisses her softly. "Because in what world would I ever not want to wake up with you? Katherine knows how much I love that. If I leave the best part of my night, then something must be wrong."

"Wow. We really have to do this, huh? Stick with this plan to make Katherine believe we don't want each other anymore."

"Just for a little while. And we need to keep it up tomorrow at the community cleanup."

"I know," Elena whispers and caresses his face. "I know. I don't want to hurt you Stefan. I don't want this to be a thing for us."

"It won't be. The people in this bed 20 minutes ago? The things we said to each other? That's us. Always will be. Okay?"

She blushes at the memories but understands what he is getting at. "Okay. Stop by tomorrow morning?"

"You mean in a few hours?" he asks smiling at her trying to cheer her up. He knew this wasn't ideal for either of them. But a real breakup wasn't even an option so this was the next best choice.

She giggles. "Yes, Stefan."

"Absolutely. Maybe we can even get in a little morning play, huh?"

"Nope. I'm sure Katherine remembers how you act after sex. No need to give her any clues."

"I act a certain way after sex? Is that so Elena Gilbert?" he says to her in a totally unabashedly flirty manner.

"Yes. You smile a lot. And you look flushed for much longer than you should. And you're much more sensitive to the touch than normal." She flirts back , all smiles and a little bit touchy to boot.

"Hmm…he nuzzles her neck with his nose and then with his mouth. Those are some very obvious tells. I will need to work on those."

"You most definitely should," she replies wrapping her arms around his neck and letting the covers fall by the wayside.

They begin to make out again, Elena's hands in his hair, his hands roaming across her body. With a quickness, she pulls away first.

"Stefan, Stefan. We have to stop. Remember our plan? You leave me before dawn? Fake fighting?"

Stefan's eyes are so glazed over with lust he can barely understand her words. And his body has other plans. He takes a deep breath and moves off her and onto the window seat. Gathering himself, he looks back at her and sees her laughing.

"You really need to fix that," she says looking at the tent in his pants. "Katherine won't believe we're over if you're walking around with that."

He smiles and instead of responding walks into her bathroom and shuts the door. A few minutes later, she hears a sound of relief/release and as he steps out he has clearly calmed down.

"Feeling better?" She is tempted to tease him more but thinks that would defeat the purpose.

"Hmm…much. I'm going to go now."

Elena smiles. She could never tell him how much she loved their closeness. "Okay. See you in a few hours," noticing that he hadn't come over to her. That would be too much temptation.

"I love you, Elena."

"I love you too."

And he's disappeared. And she falls into sleep trying to prepare herself for the days to come. The only thing that gave her peace was the security in knowing that in fact, they were _those_ couples.


End file.
